Ultralow Loading Ruthenium on Alumina Monoliths for Facile, Highly Recyclable Reduction of p-Nitrophenol

The pervasive use of toxic nitroaromatics in industrial processes and their prevalence in industrial effluent has motivated the development of remediation strategies, among which is their catalytic reduction to the less toxic and synthetically useful aniline derivatives. While this area of research has a rich history with innumerable examples of active catalysts, the majority of systems rely on expensive precious metals and are submicron- or even a few-nanometer-sized colloidal particles. Such systems provide invaluable academic insight but are unsuitable for practical application. Herein, we report the fabrication of catalysts based on ultralow loading of the semiprecious metal ruthenium on 2–4 mm diameter spherical alumina monoliths. Ruthenium loading is achieved by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and catalytic activity is benchmarked using the ubiquitous para-nitrophenol, NaBH4 aqueous reduction protocol. Recyclability testing points to a very robust catalyst system with intrinsic ease of handling.

Influence of an addition amount of a new type of alumina on the properties of ramming mullite-corundum mixes and samples from them

Effect investigation of an addition amount of spherical alumina on the properties of ramming mullite-corundum mixes of the MMK-90 (on a binder of an aqueous solution of orthophosphoric acid) and MMKPBF (with a MgO addition on a borophosphate binder) brands, as well as samples from them, have been carried out. As a result of the carried out studies, it was found that the use of an optimal amount (4 %) of spherical alumina in the composition of ramming mullite-corundum mixes provides an increase in by 30 % in the cold crushing strength of samples made from them, fired at a temperature of 1580 °C, while maintaining at sufficiently high level indicators of their thermal shock resistance and slag resistance. The indicated alumina use in the composition of the MMK-90 mix during high-temperature firing of samples leads to an intensification of the mullite synthesis process. In fired samples from the MMKPBF mix, the spherical alumina forms a dense intergrowth of "felt-like" structure, which reinforces the structure, increasing the strength and thermal shock resistance of the samples. Indicators of physical and chemical properties of ramming mullite-corundum mixes of improved composition and samples made from them (for MMK-90 and MMKPBF mixes, respectively): chemical composition, wt. %: Al2O3 — not less than 90.0 and 85.0; SiO2 — within 3.2-5.0 and no more than 2.5; Fe2O3 — no more than 1.0 and 0.6; P2O5 — in the range of 2.5-3.5 and 0.5-1.0; grain size composition, mm — 3-0; cold crushing strength after firing at a temperature of 1580 °С — 110 and 70 N/mm2; thermal shock resistance — > 20 thermal cycles 950 °С — water. Ramming mullite-corundum mixes of improved composition are recommended for use in various heating units with high specific mechanical loads on the lining.

Globular Flower-Like Reduced Graphene Oxide Design for Enhancing Thermally Conductive Properties of Silicone-Based Spherical Alumina Composites

The enhancement of thermally conductive performances for lightweight thermal interface materials is a long-term effort. The superb micro-structures of the thermal conductivity enhancer have an important impact on increasing thermal conductivity and decreasing thermal resistance. Here, globular flower-like reduced graphene oxide (GFRGO) is designed by the self-assembly of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets, under the assistance of a binder via the spray-assisted method for silicone-based spherical alumina (S-Al2O3) composites. When the total filler content is fixed at 84 wt%, silicone-based S-Al2O3 composites with 1 wt% of GFRGO exhibit a much more significant increase in thermal conductivity, reduction in thermal resistance and reinforcement in thermal management capability than that of without graphene. Meanwhile, GFRGO is obviously superior to that of their RGO counterparts. Compared with RGO sheets, GFRGO spheres which are well-distributed between the S-Al2O3 fillers and well-dispersed in the matrix can build three-dimensional and isotropic thermally conductive networks more effectively with S-Al2O3 in the matrix, and this minimizes the thermal boundary resistance among components, owning to its structural characteristics. As with RGO, the introduction of GFRGO is helpful when decreasing the density of silicone-based S-Al2O3 composites. These attractive results suggest that the strategy opens new opportunities for fabricating practical, high-performance and light-weight filler-type thermal interface materials.

Development of novel supported iridium nanocatalysts for special catalytic beds

In the present paper, an experimental study of the catalytic decomposition of hydrous hydrazine was investigated on the different structural forms of the catalyst. The synthesized iridium catalysts have been usually used directly and have not been evaluated in the laboratory reactor. This study includes the preparation of iridium-based catalysts supported on spherical (alumina), honeycomb monoliths (cordierite) and foams (alumina) for the evaluation of catalytic activity in the laboratory reactor. The characterizations of these catalysts were evaluated by the TGA, FESEM and BET analysis. The result of the catalytic characterization of monolithic support was shown a homogeneous distribution of active metal without any problem of sintering (average size 25 nm) on the support surface. While the surface of the spherical and foam supports were shown non-uniform distribution of nanoparticles on the support skeleton (average size 55 nm). The monolithic catalyst exhibits higher decomposition rate and H2 selectivity than other supports due to uniform in shape and particle size distribution. Graphic abstract